Masquerade Mingle

[thespaceopera]

[The night has finally come--the Gravity Rush is nearly upon us! What normally serves as a large performance hall has been gutted, emptied of its boring furniture and rigged up into a fantastical mismatch of technology and old culture. No matter where you go tonight, you're encouraged to move around, dance, play games, whatever helps you sleep in late tomorrow morning.

If you aren't one for scurrying around a ballroom all night, there's always plenty of people-watching to do. After all, so many people are wearing extravagant costumes and elaborate masks. How can you even tell who is who? Get lost in a crowd of sequins, chatter with a sun and a moon, or try to beat the guy in the monster-mask at a game of cards. Meet your friends or make some new ones--this masquerade party has begun!]


[[ooc: All sections are up now, have fun! A related ooc post is HERE for any questions or plotting you'd like to do.]]

Comments

[resnipstance]

[Ahsoka leads her onto the dance floor, grinning like the cheshire cat to go with her mask.]

I'm warning you, I only learned how to do this an hour ago! So if I'm bad at it, you can blame Obi-Wan!

[steeledskin]

[ it is (perhaps) a touch unorthodox that two ladies should dance together at a proper ball -- but young women danced together all the time behind the closed doors of their rooms or their bowers. how else were they to practice their steps? and sansa knows she's rather dance with ahsoka than many of the nonetheless fine-looking gentlemen attendant this evening. she doesn't know them; she knows ahsoka. ]

Pray, then, you do not tread upon my toes.

[resnipstance]

That at least, I think I can manage.

[Thank the Force-- literally. Ahsoka has been cheating all night, using her Force-assisted intuition and reflexes to tell her where people's feet will fall before they step and react appropriately.]

There are some perks to being a Jedi, after all. Even an ex-Jedi.

[She starts leading Sansa around the room to a fairly upbeat tune (for a ballroom song anyway), and it's hesitant at first, but she gets more confidence as they go along-- though every so often her eyes dart away from Sansa and towards the people around them, as if she's checking to make sure she's doing the right thing.]

[steeledskin]

[ -- this happens to be sansa's element. graceful arts, and practiced steps. she knows precisely where to put her palms and how near to stand. especially as ahsoka has deigned to take the leading steps. she might not be any sort of jedi herself, but she did seem to have preternatural talent for this sort of thing. she dances well, and she dances with enthusiasm. ]

-- Perks, my lady?

[resnipstance]

Having an awareness of the Force means having an awareness of all living things around you. If I concentrate, I can "see" all sorts of things, without ever using my eyes. Like the guy behind me, who's seriously about to lose his balance.

[Sure enough, as she says it, the man behind Ahsoka seems to step wrongly and wobbles backwards slightly-- as Ahsoka moves herself and Sansa gracefully out of the previously occupied danger-zone just in time, avoiding a minor collision.]

[steeledskin]

[ gods! what magic is this? sansa knows better than to assume it some mere good guess. their steps switch gracefully, and she allows her grip to bite (lightly) into ahsoka's arm. surprised. ]

A-and...you can do that? All the time?

[resnipstance]

That's right. Think of it like a sixth sense, like sight or hearing. It's not infallible-- just like you can't hear what people are talking about on the other side of the room other than a vague hum of words, I can't really sense what they're doing either, other than a vague hum of knowing that they're there. And just like with listening, it's possible to get distracted and fail to notice things.

[steeledskin]

[ a little nosy: ] What else can you...sense?

[resnipstance]

Intentions. Emotions. Sometimes. If they're clear, anyway. I can tell when people are lying, usually, too. Unless they're skilled at shielding. ... And it only works in person, not-- over comms or text messages.

[steeledskin]

[ sansa's dance-steps ought to be perfect; it's one of the few things at which she excels, alongside the harp and singing and needlework. but ahsoka's caught her off her guard. ]

You know when someone lies.

[ it's not a question. not exactly. ]

[resnipstance]

Mm, most of the time.

I tend not to call people out on it though-- I mean, unless they're withholding information vital to saving someone's life. I always figure... people have their lies for a reason. If they want me to know the truth, they'll tell me when they're ready.

[steeledskin]

You would have known. Each time. [ she swallows hard, realization rolling through her stomach that every self-protective lie told while sharing ahsoka's company would have been sniffed out by her friend. this leaves a sour taste in the back of her throat. ] And you still want to be my friend?

[resnipstance]

Well... [Ahsoka pauses, like she's really giving her reply some thought before speaking. A rare phenomenon, for her.]

Hmmm. The way I see it, people don't usually lie for fun, right? Unless they're malicious, but-- I don't think you are. Usually the lies you tell are because-- hmm, it seems like you're protecting yourself. Or someone else. Or me.

I can't really hold that against you. It just means I haven't earned your trust yet.

[steeledskin]

It -- [ she wets her lips. ] My lady, it can be awful dangerous to tell the truth.

[resnipstance]

Sure, sometimes. Isn't that just proving my point?

[steeledskin]

It does; my lady, I was agreeing with you. I promise.

[ -- agreement without details. sansa's specialty. ]

[resnipstance]

But you still think I should hold it against you?

[steeledskin]

Others have. And -- [ her chin tilts. she needs to decide how much she ought to tell. ] And before coming here, my lady, it had been a long time indeed since I could tell any truths.

[resnipstance]

Oh-- that's right.

You were-- um. A political prisoner of sorts, right? [There are so many factions involved in Sansa's home world, the more she hears about it, the more trouble she has keeping the facts straight. But she's fairly sure that's correct.]

[steeledskin]

[ a small nod. and sansa -- caught up in the night, and in the peace of her brothers being so near... ]

Held hostage, by the crown. But some six moons before arriving in the Fleet, my lady, I was a fugitive of the crown. In hiding, and -- and living under another name. Sansa Stark was gone; I wasn't permitted to be her.

[resnipstance]

[Ahsoka nods. It's a familiar story. Force-- it might even one day be her own future, if she doesn't succeed in changing the timeline when she leaves this place.]

Man. No wonder you were so jumpy when we first met.

[steeledskin]

And you have been -- patient, my lady. [ their one bit of tension notwithstanding. ] As my brothers arrived, I realized I could comfortably be myself again. No one would hurt me for it. The worst of my enemies are not here.

[resnipstance]

"The worst" of your enemies?

Wait-- does that mean some of them are?

[steeledskin]

[ oh, seven hells. this is precisely why she holds her tongue -- a misspoken word can lead to difficult questions. sansa exudes hesitation. her mouth opens, and: ] N-no, my lady...

[ but that's a lie. and her blue eyes betray immediate understanding of what she's so recently learned. ahsoka will no. ]

Only...there are some within the fleet who harbour little affection for my house. Or whose own houses are aligned against mine.

[resnipstance]

[Ahsoka's brow furrows.]

... Well, I won't push it, but ...

If someone threatens you, you should tell me. [The edges of her mouth turn upwards a little in something of a little conspiratorial grin.] I'll sort 'em out so fast, they won't know what hit 'em.